Mark MacLean is the Director of International Admissions, overseeing recruiting and admitting on-campus international students. MacLean has been working for the University of Wisconsin-Superior since 2004.
Director of International Admissions Mark MacLean
MacLean has lived in eight different countries before beginning work at campus. He even has a Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL), from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. MacLean has taught English in Czech Republic, Costa Rica, Ecuador for 18 months, and South Korea.
MacLean’s goal for many international students is to be prepared and positioned for a successful career in their field.
It’s always MacLean’s hope and advice that students take ownership over their experiences. Student organizations, on-campus employment, research, athletics, outdoor recreation, are just some of the opportunities out there for international students that are on-campus. “We also live in an amazing area, and I hope to see students get off campus into the community and have the experiences that drew so many tourists to our region,” said MacLean.
According to the Institute of International Education (IIE) Open Doors report, it was announced that nationwide, international undergraduate enrollment decreased 4% from fall 2020 to fall 2021. However, at UWS, enrollment increased by almost 12%.
Mark MacLean has helped over a thousand international students attend UWS.
MacLean mentioned many different challenges he faces in his job including, evaluating academic credentials from ever-changing educational systems around the world, helping international students navigate the process of applying for student visas at U.S. embassies and consulates, and processing the surge of international applications in recent years. “We received more than 600 international applications for fall 2022 compared to less than 200 in fall of 2019,” said MacLean.
MacLean finds his job enormously gratifying saying, “Personal growth comes from immersing yourself in another culture.” MacLean has helped more than a thousand international students enroll at UWS. The most popular majors for international students are in computer science, biology, and the various offerings in the School of Business and Economics, including transportation and logistics management.
